chapter 11 a nice little plan

the five of them told captain and mrs. johnson about their afternoon's experience, as they werehaving supper.

'patrins!' said mrs. johnson. 'so sniffer told you about those? but i really don't think you should visitthe gypsy camp. those particular gypsies are a surly, bad-tempered lot.'

'did you ever hear the tale of the big bartles?' said henry, getting ready to relate it, and add little bitsof her own, here and there!

'no. but it can wait, i'm sure,' said mrs. johnson, knowing henry's habit of leaving her food quiteuneaten once she began on some marvellous tale. 'is it one of your tales? you can tell it after supper.'

'it's not henry's tale,' said george, annoyed that henry should get all the limelight again, and take theblacksmith's tale for her own. 'it's one old ben told us. ju, you tell it!'

'nobody is to tell it now,' said captain johnson. 'you came in late for supper, we waited for you, andthe least you can do is to get on with your eating.'

the five juniors at the other table were disappointed. they had hoped to hear another of henry'smarvellous stories. but captain johnson was hungry and tired.

'old ben is a great age, as you said,' began henry, after a few mouthfuls. 'he -'

'not another word, please, henrietta,' said the captain, curtly. henry went red and george grinned,kicking at dick under the table. unfortunately she kicked henry instead, and the girl glared at her fora whole minute.

'oh dear!' thought anne. 'just as we'd had such a lovely day! i suppose we're all tired and scratchy.'

'why did you kick me?' began henry in a cross voice, as soon as she and george left the table withthe others.

'shut up, you two,' said julian. 'she probably meant to kick me or dick, not you.'

henry shut up. she didn't like julian to tick her off. george looked mutinous and went off withtimmy.

dick yawned. 'what jobs are there to do, if any?' he said. 'don't say there's washing-up again. i feel imight break a few things.'

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mrs. johnson heard him and laughed. 'no, there's no washing-up. the woman has come in to do ittonight. have a look at the horses - and see that jenny the mare is not with flash, you know shedoesn't like her for some reason, and will kick out at her. she must always be kept in another field.'

'that's all right, mrs. johnson,' said william, suddenly appearing, stolid and competent as ever.

'i've seen to that. i've seen to everything, really.'

'you're better than any stable-boy, william,' said mrs. johnson, smiling at him. 'i wish you'd take apermanent job here!'

'i wish you meant that,' said william, earnestly. there was nothing he would have liked better!

he went off looking pleased.

'i think you'd better all go to bed then, as william appears to have done everything necessary,'

said mrs. johnson. 'any plans for tomorrow?'

'not yet,' said julian, trying to stop a yawn. 'so if you want anything done, we'll do it.'

'we'll see what tomorrow brings,' said mrs. johnson and said good night. the boys said good night tothe three girls and went off to the stable.

'gosh, we've forgotten to undress and wash and everything,' said julian, half-asleep. 'what's thematter with us at this place? i can't seem to keep my eyes open after half-past eight!'

the next day certainly brought a few things. it brought a letter for henry that filled her with disgust.

it brought two letters for mrs. johnson that made her start fussing and worrying. it brought atelegram for captain johnson that sent him down to the station at once.

henrietta's letter was from two of her great-aunts. they announced that as they would be near thestables that day and the following, they would like to fetch her and take her out with them.

'blow!' said henrietta, ungratefully. 'great-aunts hannah and lucy would choose this very week tocome along and see me! just when julian and dick are here, and everything is such fun. can't i phoneand say i'm too busy, mrs. johnson?'

'certainly not,' said mrs. johnson, shocked. 'that would be very rude, henry, and you know it.

you're having the whole of the easter holidays here, and yet you think you can't spare two days.

as a matter of fact i shall be glad if your aunts do take you off my hands for a couple of days.'

'why?' asked henry, astonished. 'have i been a nuisance?'

'oh no, but i've had two letters this morning telling me that four children are coming unexpectedly,'

said mrs. johnson. 'they were not supposed to come till three of the others left 50this week-end, but there you are! these things happen. where i am to put them i really don't know!'

'oh dear!' said anne. 'do you think dick and julian ought to go home, mrs. johnson? you didn't planfor them, you know, they just came.'

'yes. i know,' said mrs. johnson. 'but we're more or less used to that, and i do like having biggerboys, i must say, they're such a help. now let me see. what can we do?'

captain johnson came in, looking hurried. 'i've just had a telegram, dear,' he said. 'i've got to godown to the station. those two new horses have arrived. two days before i wanted them - what anuisance!'

'this is one of those days!' said mrs. johnson, desperately. 'good gracious, how many shall we be inthe house? and however many horses shall we have? no, i can't count this morning. i'm all muddle-headed!'

anne felt that it was a pity that she and george and the boys couldn't immediately pack and go home.

after all, poor mrs. johnson had thought that she and george would have gone home three or fourdays ago, and instead of that they had stayed on and the boys had arrived as well!

anne hurried to find julian. he would know what to do. she found him with dick, carrying straw forthe stables.

'julian! listen! i want to talk to you,' said anne. julian let the load of straw slip to the ground, andturned to anne.

'what's up?' he said. 'don't tell me it's a row between george and henry again, because i shan'tlisten!'

'no. nothing like that,' said anne. 'it's mrs. johnson. she's got four children coming unexpectedly,before the others go. she's in a great state about it, and i wondered what we could do to help. yousee, she didn't expect any of us four to be here this week.'

'no. that's true,' said julian, sitting down on his straw. 'let's think hard.'

'it's easy!' said dick. 'we'll simply take our tents, some food, and go and camp out on the moor bysome spring. what could be nicer?'

'oh yes!' said anne, her eyes shining. 'oh dick, that's a marvellous idea! mrs. johnson will get rid ofus all and timmy too, then, and we would have a lovely time all by ourselves!'

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'killing quite a lot of birds with one stone!' said julian. 'we've got a couple of tents in our kit, anne.

very small ones, but they'll do. and we can borrow rubber sheets to put on the heather, though it's asdry as a bone, as far as i can see!'

'i'll go and tell george!' said anne, joyfully. 'let's go today, julian, and be out of the way before thenew children come. captain johnson's got two new horses coming too. he'll be very glad to have afew of us out of the way!'

she flew off to tell george. george was busy polishing some harness, a job she liked very much.

she listened to anne's excited tale. henry was there too, looking gloomy. she looked gloomier still atthe end.

'it's too bad,' she said, when anne had finished. 'i could have come with you if it hadn't been for thesegreat-aunts of mine. why did they have to come just at this very moment! don't you think it'smaddening?'

neither anne nor george thought it was maddening. they were secretly very pleased indeed to thinkthat they could once more go off entirely on their own, with timmy, as they had so often done before.

but they would have had to ask henry if her aunts hadn't written at this very lucky moment!

george didn't like to show how delighted she was to think of going off camping on the moor.

she and anne did a little comforting of poor henry and then went off to make arrangements withmrs. johnson.

'well, that's a very bright idea of dick's!' she said in delight. 'it solves a whole lot of problems.

and i know you don't mind. you're thrilled at the chance, aren't you! it's really very helpful. i onlywish poor henry could go too, but she must go out with her old great-aunts. they adore her!'

'of course she must,' said george, solemnly. she and anne exchanged a look. poor henry. but really,it would be very nice to be without her for a little while.

everyone began to be suddenly very busy. dick and julian undid their packs to find out exactly whatwas in them. mrs. johnson looked out rubber sheets and old rugs. she was a wonder at producingthings like that!

william wanted to go with them and help to carry the things, but nobody wanted his help. they justwanted to be off and away by themselves, just the five and nobody else! timmy caught theexcitement too and his tail thumped and wagged the whole morning.

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'you'll be pretty well loaded,' said mrs. johnson, doubtfully. 'it's a good thing that fine weather isforecast, or you'd have to take macs as well. still, i imagine you won't go very far on the moors, willyou? you can easily get back to the stable if you have forgotten anything, or want more food.'

they were ready at last, and went to find henry to say good-bye. she stared at them mournfully.

she had changed into a smart little coat and dress. she looked completely different and very gloomy.

'what part of the moor are you going to?' she asked eagerly. 'up the railway?'

'yes. we thought we would,' said julian. 'just to see where it goes to. and it's a nice straight way tofollow. we can't lose our way if we keep near the railway!'

'have a good time, henry,' said george, with a grin. 'do they call you henrietta?'

'yes,' said poor henry, putting on a pair of gloves. 'well, good-bye. for goodness' sake don't stayaway too long. thank goodness you're all such a hungry lot. you'll simply have to come back and getmore food in a couple of days!'

they grinned and left her, timmy at their heels. they made their way to the moor, intending to cutout the part of the railway that ran to milling green, and join it some way before that.

'now we're off,' said george, contentedly. 'without that chatterbox of a henry.'

'she's really not too bad,' said dick. 'all the same, it's fine to be on our own, just the famous fivetogether!'